Over the Mountains
by mellow984
Summary: 'Country Road AU' This story is of Josiah coming back to his home town to settle down and is greeted by his family, his brothers that he only seen through the computer screen. Josiah is the oldest while the others are in their teens. This is a completed story but I will have side stories to connect it with in due time.


[Type here]

Hey out there. So for fun, I came up with a little AU of my own - but there are so many out there, if it is an AU that has already been processed - my apologies. It's for my own fun is all. I had a horrible time with this - everything worked against me. My word doc kept crashing, then my internet , then my notebook. I mostly typed this up via phone text doing my half hour lunch break so I do apologies for those who read and find a lot of errors. I do make a good many without the help of the devices.

I am torn if I want to label this a the tree-house gang AU or Country Road AU. I also opened many doors in this story so I could feed off it with little stories. In a way, the story is my outline for future stories.

Enjoy

* * *

John Larabee leaned back into his overstuffed office chair as the sound of former sleepers started move about from upstairs. At the age of fifty-five, he was satisfied with his life. Sure, there were a lot of regrets he wished he could change but in the end, he counted his blessings. He had a good wife, five wonderful boys and even though being a sheriff of a small town had its own piece of drama, it was a job he loved.

His wife. His high school sweetheart, Natalie Rose Larabee. She wanted to celebrate her birthday with a small party, just her family. That wouldn't happen as long as John was the sheriff of a small town, which everyone felt they were invited to celebrate with them.

This birthday was going to be a little different this year. Their first- born son Josiah, was coming home after ten years of traveling for Habitat for Humanity. He had traveled across the globe in order to help in teaching English where it was needed. He also helped with construction of homes and learnt a little auto mechanic as he often found himself with a vehicle that had seen better years many years back.

After ten years abroad, a 'special circumstances' had him moved to New York where he was able to get a job as a handyman for a Church while furthering his education and succeeding to become licensed Humanistic Therapist.

Naturally, Natalie told anyone that would listen about how excited she was for the return of her eldest, on her birthday at that. As she was the local Dentist hygienist, she told a fair amount of people. This act would ruin her birthday since they were sure the town's Buttskies, as Buck liked to call them, would self-invite themselves to the private affair.

While abroad, Josiah was sure to keep in touch through letters, though John and Natalie weren't always able to correspond back due to his location or frequent travels. Occasionally but always at Christmas, Josiah would be at a location with internet service which he would video chat with his family.

Seven months ago Josiah brought up the idea of moving back to his home town with his parents. At the age of thirty-seven, Josiah had stated that he wanted to dig his roots into a solid foundation, and that would mean coming home.

It wasn't until Josiah requested his parents to check out an old Queen Anne Victorian home that he saw for sale online that John had started to be certain of Josiah's decision.

John knew that Josiah had always admired the home from a distance. It was built in the late 1800's so naturally whispers of the oldest house within miles of the town had a haunted history of lost soldiers coming home from a terrible battle, suicide in the late 1920's, even a ghastly murder.

No one ever proved it to be true nor has anyone proved it to be false. What was true was that two elderly sisters had lived there until their deaths days apart from each other.

Unfortunately, the home had fallen in the hands of relatives that had no interest in keeping the home and the house had been neglected for a few years. A lot of furniture and clothing that the two elderly sisters had kept from their long residents inside the Old Queen Anne home still remained, untouched and forgotten.

Josiah loved history, he loved the house and he loved the idea of restoring the home to its former glory. It was something he was greatly looking forward to doing.

John thoughts came hurling back to reality with the sound of pounding footsteps above him as JD rushed to the bathroom to try and beat Chris as he did every morning. He never made it but came close enough to see the door slam shut in front of him. It took only seconds before John heard his ten- year old bounce down the high glossed wooden steps to use the bathroom on the main floor.

"Dad! Mom! Chris shut the bathroom door on my face, _again_!" JD yelled once he made it to the main floor landing. He quickly ran over to the bathroom only to have that too slam on his face as well.

"Vin!" JD pounded on the closed door, knowing his chance of getting let in the second bathroom was a better option than getting on his older brother's angry side. "Let me in!"

"Sure!" John heard fifteen-year old Vin reply. "_When_ I'm done."

"But I need to go now!" JD whimpered.

"We got plenty of trees outdoors, little bit." Buck answered in his playful voice. Recently Buck had taken a shower, his towel draped over a shoulder and his curly hair tousled rakishly. At seventeen, he was running on full hormones. "Ain't anyone but those horses out there and they don't seem all that interested in you watering a tree now and then."

"I'm not going out there!" JD gave his older brother a heated look over his shoulder before turning his attention to the closed door once more. "Vin let me in!" JD had more energy than a chipmunk and just as squeaky as one.

JD would keep it up with the yelling and the pounding until Vin would let him in but only because Vin doesn't take so long to get ready for school. Of all John's children, it was Vin who hated school. The others got decent grades with their hard work while Vin struggled, studied longer because of his dyslexia. It didn't help that most of the troublemakers seemed to be in his grade and target him often. Of course, his older brothers always watched out for him, but they couldn't be with him every moment of the day. Naturally Vin would stand up for himself as well and that caused phone calls home regarding his behavior.

"Hey Dad," Buck poked his head around the door of his father's office. "I know Mom's party is this Saturday evening, but I was wondering if I could take the jeep to do some fishing before it starts?"

"Fishing?" John echoed as he thought it over. "Are you planning on going alone? Vin and JD enjoy doing stuff with you. Maybe you could take them along?"

"Well, I would. I love fishing with the little guys and all but see," Buck let himself into the office, softly closing the door behind him to block out JD's excitement of strawberry pancakes. "Bree, why isn't that the prettiest name you ever heard? Like a soft warm breeze and she's all sunshine, let me tell you, with her blonde hair and bright blues eyes. Well, Bree loves going to the lake and I thought since I wanted to go there for a little fishing, maybe I'd ask her to come along."

"Because you are going there anyways?" John stated amusingly.

"It only seems right." Buck shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans and gave his dad a little indifferent shrug of his broad shoulders. "Me and the younger ones go fishing a lot. Might be nice to give her a chance this time to tag along with me."

John looked at his third born for a brief moment before slowly nodding his head in an agreement. "Saturday morning you can borrow the jeep to go down to the lake. Of course, ask Bree, it would be a shame for her to miss out when she enjoys it so much." John nodded his head.

"Yeah!" Buck beamed at his father.

"And the jeep holds four, so I see no problem that Vin can't tag around," John ignored Buck's openly gaping mouth, instead pretended to tidy up his desk. "In fact, JD as well. It would help me. I can prepare for your mother's birthday. I swear, you haven't got a selfish bone in your body." John stood up, ruffling Buck's wet hair as he walked passed him. "Now, let's get some of your mother's pancakes before your younger brothers eat them all."

John entered his large kitchen where they normally ate breakfast. Chris had handed his father a cup of coffee but never taking his cell phone from his ear and John didn't bother telling him to put it down. Chris had just turned eight-teen in March, just last month and was working hard so he and Sarah, his high school sweetheart, could find a place of their own. John and Natalie had tried to slow him down, but Chris was hard headed and madly in love. John felt he really didn't have a voice to put in since he and Natalie had their first child when Natalie was all but sixteen. At the time, John thought he had it all planned out as well, after all it looked good on paper and numbers don't lie. Life has a way of opening your eyes.

John took a seat at the table and watched his sons move around with their own routine, his lovely wife smiling as Buck told her about his newest love interest. John was amazed how Buck shared everything with his wife. Buck told Natalie about his first kiss, showed her his first little chin hair, proudly and without a blush, he had pulled his shirt off to show her his first chest hair. No secrets between the mother and son. John wished all the boys felt the kind of communication with him or Natalie. It wasn't so, leaving him to mind read and try to figure things out with little bits of clues their children were willing to give up.

Chris finally put his phone away and sat down at the table, frowning at the single pancake left for him, which happened to also be smaller than his hand.

"You gotta hurry there, brother," Buck grinned with a cheek full of pancakes and a pile of six on his plate. "Should know that about now."

Chris looked over at his father's plate eyeing his neat little stack. He picked up a fork, taking the last pancake on the serving tray and swiping two from his father's plate, "I thought Josiah was supposed to be here yesterday."

John raised his eyebrows at Chris' thievery but said nothing. "He ran into a little set-back. A flat and a couple of wrong turns so he stopped at a motel. He said he would be here this morning, but I expect him to arrive in the afternoon. He hadn't been home in years, he underestimated the travel time."

"Probably isn't used to all the pothole." Vin pointed his fork in his father's direction. "I can't wait to hear all about the other countries he visited."

"I think it's weird," JD chimed in between licking the syrup off his fingers. "To have a brother that I have never seen before. I mean in real-life, not on a computer screen.

Buck made a move with his fork in JD's direction. "Reason why it's exciting."

JD used his arm to protect his pancakes from Buck's fork and even gave Buck a little mock growl.

"Think of the stories and," Vin gave JD a pointed look. "He did say he had surprises!"

"Yeah, I know." JD made a thoughtful face but keeping his eye on Buck's fork for another surprise attack "It still seems weird."

"Bout time you boys started to head for school," Natalie reminded them as she took the honey from JD who had started for the jar again. "You already had too much sugar, sweetie. Time to get moving or you all will be late." She watched the boys start to stand up. "Vin, don't forget your school work. I want you to hand it in today, you hear?"

"Yes, I hear." Vin rolled his eyes as he retrieved his school bag from the entrance.

"Keep to the speed limit, Chris." John reminded him. "You get another ticket and it will be Buck driving you around on your dates."

"Why punish me?" Buck exclaimed. "I won't have time for my own dating life if I carry about his sorry load."

"You need frequent cold showers, son." John barked back.

Chris gave Buck a grin, elbowing him on the side with a quick wink.

* * *

"How many is that now? Seven this year?" Natalie was saying as she cleared the table, still wearing her hygienist uniform from pulling an early emergency shift. She placed JD honey covered plate in the sink with a wrinkle of her nose. "I keep having dreams that the town folks gather about our door with pitchforks and a petition from the fathers demanding to have Buck neutered."

John rubbed his temples at the idea of dealing with angry fathers. Natalie started to run the water for the dishes and John listened as the spare car and Chris' pick-up truck started to roll over the loose stones that would take them down the long country road towards town. He took a deep breath and gave a moment to look at the now silent house. "Quiet. It's an eerie sound when they aren't around."

"They are growing up so fast. In the moment, I can't wait until it settles down but," Natalie put an arm around John's neck from behind, bending to kiss his cheek. "Give ten minutes and I can't wait till they are all safe and at home. We only have a few years left before they all would fly from the nest."

"Sometimes, they fly back to the nest." John patted her arm.

"Which reminds me," She gave her husband a no-nonsense look. "We have to tidy up quick, so we at least appear to have somewhat of an organized household."

John groaned but did pull away from the table. "I thought through the computer we proved we were sloppy homeowners."

"He could only see a little of the house and mostly the boys' heads blocked the worst of it." Natalie handed him the broom. "I'm going to change out of this uniform first."

* * *

It was just after two o'clock, John and Natalie had settled in what they called the game room that had two 'L' shaped sofas for the boys to lounge around on.

John was watching a television program while Natalie, clearly tired from her morning shift, yawned as she tried to focus on reading her kindle when the hard knock echoed in the house.

Natalie stood up quickly, tossing her kindle onto the sofa she had been sitting on. Max and Diesel, the two family's pets mix with Labrador and a mystery, scrambled around the door eager to greet however was on the other side.

"He is here." Her blue eyes wide with excitement and nervousness. "How do I look?"

John placed both hands on her shoulder to calm her down while hiding his own jitters. "You look lovely my dear." He kissed the top of her head.

"The place looks alright?" She glanced around but nearly jumped when the quick rapping sound was repeated. She started to rearrange the pillows once more until John took her arm gently with his hand to stop her process.

"Let's go see our son," John held her hand as they walked towards the door. They both took a deep breath, letting it out together. Nineteen years ago, Josiah left this very door, looking like and over-sized teenager that he was but now, when John opened the door, a giant of a man smiling ear to ear stood before him ready to come home.

"Mom, dad…" Josiah started to say but his mother flew forward, wrapping her arms around his neck, the ordeal took her off her feet.

"My baby!" Natalie felt her tears, knowing her make-up was now ruined but no longer cared. It only took a brief second for Josiah feel his father's arms around him as well.

"It's about time you came home, son." John tried to keep his voice from showing emotion, but he doubted he succeeded. Whether it was a few seconds or a few minutes, they weren't sure, but it was John who first to slowly pull out of the hug and helped Natalie find the ground again. Josiah had to bend down a little to help, always the gentle giant that he was.

"Well overdue," Natalie commented.

They heard the clicking sound of a camera and looked left to see a teenager lowering the device. "I thought it would make a great picture." He explained in a heavy New York accent and a small, uncertain grin.

Both John and Natalie smiled at the boy but looked at Josiah with the unspoken question of who is this.

"Mom. Dad." Josiah reached over, pulling the teenager to his left side and as magic, pulled another teen from behind him to stand on his right. He placed a hand on both boys' shoulder all the while beaming at his parents. "I want to introduce you to Nathan Lee Larabee." He nodded to the boy with the cell phone. "And Ezra Payton Standish. My sons."

"Your sons?" John repeated rather slowly looking quickly to the left and to the right before focusing on Josiah. "They don't look anything like you."

"That is a blessing on its own," Josiah chuckled as he watched his father slowly register the idea.

"We have grand-babies!" Natalie cried looking quickly at her husband and back at the boys. "I'm a grandmother!" She raised both arms up and moved forward to embrace them both.

Nathan uncertain grin was replaced with a full wide smile as he reached out to meet her. Ezra green eyes widen as he took a step back from her only to feel Josiah hand on his back, pushing him forward to meet her embrace.

"I always wanted grandchildren. I was worried that Buck would be the first to give me one," Natalie gave them one last squeeze before stepping back to look at them. She cupped both boys' chin to give them a good look at. Nathan with his dark cropped curls, warm chocolate eyes that would make any girl weak in the knees and he had the brightest smile Natalie ever saw on a child. Ezra was Nate's opposite, with warm auburn brown hair, bright mischievous green eyes, a few scattered freckles on his nose and a forced smile on his face. Complete opposite of each other. They both were heart breakers already. "They are beautiful, Josiah."

Nathan gave her a bashful grin while Ezra looked over at his father with a silent pleading look.

"What's with the GPS monitor?" John asked pointing to Ezra's ankle and everyone looked down at the device peaking just under the hem of Ezra's jeans.

"That is to," Josiah frowned, scratching his beard as he tried to find words to explain. "Well see…"

"I do believe it is to hinder my ability of engaging anything I may encounter to be slightly entertaining," Ezra explained in a thick southern drawl.

"Or illegally profiting," Nathan put in.

"Assumptions and speculations," Ezra glared at his older brother.

"Assumptions and speculations!" Nathan turned to look at his younger brother. "I have witnessed your…"

"You are looking at a poor soul who lost his license before he is old enough to receive them," Josiah sighed, cutting Nathan off and giving his parents a weak grin. "We were lucky to have an understanding judge that allow us to even make this move." Josiah looked down at his auburn-haired son.

Nathan snorted, "He wanted Ez far from his jurisdiction."

"I do not recall you having any fondness to our past residential zip code," Ezra reminded him. "You should be joyfully commemorating me for this relocation of ours." Ezra gave Josiah a smirk, "It is after all, 'life changing'. Is that not what you are trying to sell us?"

Josiah started to open his mouth but Nathan beat him.

"I should be thanking you?" Nathan raised his eyebrows in disbelief. "Thanking you!"

"Look at this, Josiah. We have finally reached an agreement," Ezra gave a little head shake, "And you said it would never happen in your lifetime."

"Ezra makes me realize how many apologies I owe to the both of you." Josiah tighten his grip on his sons' shoulders, silently warning them to behave. "And if you placed a curse on me, could you lift it now. I suffered. I truly have."

"No curse, son." John frowning at Ezra. "We have a shed you could use."

Ezra gave his new found grandfather the Larabee glare. The boy needed practice, John humored in his mind. Chris wore the glare better.

"You boys hungry?" Natalie cupped her hands together and beamed at the boys. In her experience, put food in the boys' mouth and stomach you soothe the grump within. It didn't work all the time, but it was always worth the try. If anything, their mouths would be too full to spit out arguing words.

* * *

After the boys had eaten a quick lunch, John had placed them in the game room where they could play video games while he and Natalie could speak with Josiah and drink coffee in the small adjoining room. The two Larabee dogs Max and Diesel chose to stay near the boys rather than the adults.

"Nathan was named after you, Mom. He is seventeen going on forty. A most serious teenager I have ever known." Josiah sat on a large recliner across from his parents who were sitting on a love-seat. Between them was a small table with their mugs of coffee. "His mother Alancia Jackson had a heart of gold. If we all had her soul and grace, the world would be a paradise. I met her on my travels in Kenya. She was from New York and giving a year of doctors without borders a trial, to see if that was something she truly wanted to do with her career."

Josiah gave them a sheepish grin, "One thing led to another and Nathan was conceived. November 23rd, our early Thanksgiving's baby. She decided, even though she loved the idea of joining the other doctors, it was not how she wanted to raise Nate. She flew back to be with her parents and, well distant relationships are always difficult. We lost that special connection with each other. I was a stupid and foolish young man and selfish I may add with no interest in returning to the states. Of course, I still wrote a little and sent money to help with Nathan but that doesn't make up for an absent father. Then nine years ago, I received a message from Alancia's parents about her death due to an accident and slippery roads."

"Oh, the poor boy," Natalie frowned glancing over at Nathan as he played a race against his brother.

"Naturally, it still pains him and always will. His mother was an angel. She would help anyone without hesitation. I stayed in New York for us to get to know each other and him feel comfortable with me. He mostly stayed with his grandparents for the first year and before I knew it, I had him with me full time. We hit it off so naturally. " Josiah smiled as he watched his oldest. "The Jacksons decided that in their retirement years, they wanted to travel and maybe move to Florida for the sunshine. I told them about my thoughts of moving back home and they were very supportive. Said he had the right to know about his other grandparents and more about me."

" Two years ago Ezra came into our lives. He was twelve years of age when I was introduced to him." Josiah rubbed his forehead, "I...we are still learning things about him.

I met Maude Standish in Italy where I was waiting for a new group to travel with. She is a remarkable kind of person and not always for the best. She has the ability to leave an impression that you would never forget. I fell in love with her. She was addictive. Made you forget about all your problems and gave you the illusion of living life without a care. That everything and anything was there for you to take, you just had to reach out for it. I was trying to find ways in my mind on how I could keep a woman like her by my side. A creature of elegance and a taste for wealth." Josiah chuckled to himself, "Seems as I put a lot of time wasting on useless thoughts. One day Maude told me she had to get back home to her husband, but she thanked me for the enjoyments we shared and wished me luck."

Natalie eyes widen, "Her husband?"

"Are you sure he is even yours?" John said in a low tone to the boys couldn't hear.

Josiah nodded his head, "DNA confirmed it. Maude was of course outraged when I requested the test by the clinic of my choice, but we went through it. Ezra is my son. Maude did try to pass him as her husband's child. Frederick Douglass Standish. A tycoon from a lineage of wealth. He must have been an agreeable fellow because Ezra has the fondest memories of him. He was up in his age when Ezra was born and passed away when Ezra was five. He left Ezra a hefty inheritance, which Ezra will only receive in mile stones as he ages. He also, through his will and last testament, stating to everyone about his vasectomy he had performed when he was living in his forties, thirty years before he had married Maude. That was enough to confirm the idea the whole Standish family had already manifested in their thoughts to be true. Ezra was not his son. Fredrick knew it all along but for his reasons, he never confronted Maude about it.

Maude was left with her clothing, the jewelry he had gifted her throughout their marriage and a small amount of money. Let me rephrase that. What an extremely wealthy family considers to be a small amount. Since Ezra wouldn't see any of his inheritance until he was an adult, she was left without the luxury she always enjoyed so she married another man of wealth and what happened between then and now is a mystery to me. I did find out however that one of the Standish son's did offer to adopt Ezra from Maude but she had refused."

Josiah paused a moment to drink some of his coffee. "Maude knew I had a son in New York and by looking for Nat and his mother, she found me, and Ezra landed on my doorstep. A lot has taken place in the seven years of his life. He has stated that he has had at least four step-fathers in his life. I got the impression that at least one wasn't fond of the boy at all."

"Where is his mother now?" Natalie questioned.

"I have no idea," Josiah shook his head. "The two of them keep in touch through emails and she adds money into some online account he has. He pulls most of his money out and places it in other banks because he doesn't trust her. His relationship with her, in my opinion is unhealthy for him. Ezra seems to get a little anxious every time she emails him. I do know that he needs a more positive structure, one she cannot give him. I am hoping that he doesn't tell her our current living address, but I also don't believe it matters. She will always find him. Charles Standish, his step-brother I suppose, had contacted me through his lawyer. He was still interested in Ezra's adoption. Guess he thought I was going to convince Maude, take the cash and sign the dotted line. But it won't happen."

John leaned forward in the sofa,"Tell me this son. I am sure your Mom would like an answer too. You knew about Nathan from the day he was born. Seventeen years. Why did you not tell us? We could had help. We would had."

"Pride." Josiah set his mug down and ran his hands through his short hair. "Shamefulness for not being there for the boys at the beginning. Stupidity on my side. I was fitting into a new life, unfamiliar lifestyle. I didn't want to uproot Nathan. I didn't want to take him far from his other grandparents. I can give you excuses. It is all I thought about while driving home." He stared at his mug for a moment in thought. "One time he was eight and I blinked, he is seventeen. I regret cheating us out of time together. I regret cheating you both out of knowing him in his younger years. I will always regret it and I have no reasonable excuse."

* * *

"That is a lot of house," Nathan stood before Josiah's dream home in awe. The house was set back away from town on a little hill but not so far that one couldn't see the town streets from the porch. It had three stories, with a tower above the curved porch that wrapped around most of the home. There was even a small balcony on the second level of the home, on the same side as the tower.

The jeep was parked in the property's' horse-shoe driveway with iron fence and gate circling the over run lawn and gardens.

With chipping white painted bricks and shingled roofs, frame detailing, and plenty of windows the house looked very old and very impressive. They all stood before the Victorian home, John with his arms crossed in front of him observing the small family.

"It is a lot of house," Josiah agreed with a smile as he admired it. "A lot indeed. It also needs a lot of elbow grease to get it looking to its former glory. Inside and," Josiah looked over the neglected lawn. "outside as well."

"I would start with that roof," John pointed to an area of concern. "I know a great contractor for the roof, but it still is going to cost you."

Josiah nodded in agreement. "I think I would like to stick to the same kind of roof style. I know it will cost more but it gives its classic look. I am fairly certain the rest, the boys and I can do."

"You have brothers that will help you out as well," John reminded him. "Maybe Buck could get the whole football team to help clear up the yard. Chris' girlfriend Sarah can get a few of her friends to help the garden sorted out."

"I can't wait to see the inside," Nathan beamed at his father. "As oldest, do I get first pick of the bedrooms?"

"I get first pick," Josiah answered him but relieved that Nathan accepted the house and seemed eager to see what was in stored for them. "There are plenty of rooms, I doubt you would have to worry about claiming." He patted Nathan's back affectionately and glanced over at his other son. "Ezra, you are quiet. Surely you have an opinion."

"There is a latrine in the lawn!" Ezra flashed a despaired looked at Josiah, his hand gesturing to a small A-shape outhouse hidden in a thicket of thorns. Nathan groaned and put his hands over his face. John lifted his eyebrows in amusement. "Perhaps you should request a bio-hazard inspection before we enter. I would fear that a house of such age would leaking lead through its painted pores. It probably has its own population of interbreeding mutated rodents sneezing out pestilence from gnawing small doorways on such walls. The basement may be the gateway to their immense lairs."

"Immense lairs," Josiah mumbled and reached over to cover his son's mouth. "I am sorry I asked. There was a health inspection. In the country as like the city, we encounter mice from time to time. There were a few found inside but have been kept care of since. No rats, no mold, no lead and the structure is solid. The outhouse was turned into a garden shed to store shovels, rakes and small tools for the garden many, many years ago. The pump still works but the house has been modernized so there is hot running water inside, there are showers and workable toilets. The house needs to have updated kitchen, new paint on the outside and inside. The wooden floors need some care too but mostly it's dusty." Josiah moved his hand from Ezra's mouth who was trying to push it away.

"Were the mice handled in a humane way?" Nathan asked seriously.

"Let's look inside." Josiah clapped him on the shoulder again.

"They make horror movies about places like this," Ezra whispered to Nathan.

"About lead paint eating mutated mice?" Nathan smirked and shook his head. "You would do anything to try to get out of doing work."

Once inside, Ezra saw that Josiah was true to his word. The place did need care, new cupboards, appliances, the carpets need pulled up but basically the elder ladies kept care of their home while they had it and it hadn't been too long in the hands of uninterested relatives. A lot of the old furniture had remained and though it wasn't in the best condition, Josiah was sure he would be able to fix them.

The floors above them didn't threaten to fall upon them. The staircase had all the steps and solid at that. To be certain, Ezra did allow others to lead upward. The staircase led up two more floors with sphere-shaped hallways that circled the staircase.

Nathan claimed a tower room on the third floor. Ezra asked if he was planning to grow out his hair. That caused a shove from both and a cool it from Josiah.

Nathan decided on the third floor because not only did it have its own bathroom, it also gave a feel of a private apartment setting. He was getting older and maybe he would meet someone special to bring home. A little privacy could be found here.

Josiah had the master bedroom on the second floor with its own bathroom. The handcrafted king size bed made of mahogany still centered the room. It's weight was probably the reason it was left behind. Josiah had told his father that it seemed as the bed was made for his size.

Ezra took a room that was on the other side of the staircase. It did not have its own bathroom, but the second floor spare bathroom with a large clawed shower/tub was right down the hall. It did have a balcony that viewed the town and a very nice aged elder tree at the corner, near enough that he could almost touch it without getting on the rail. It was always nice to have a second way out.

John stress the amount of dust and suggested everyone should stay at the ranch for at least a week until Josiah could the dust cleared out and the new beds and appliances would have arrived within that time. Josiah agreed, reminding the boys that they wouldn't be in school system for another week and could help. Ezra reminded Josiah of his allergies to dust, Nathan reminded Ezra that his allergy test was to mold and not to dust and John said there was no mold.

* * *

John had called back to the house to let them know that the boys would be staying for a week until everything is cleaned up at their home. Natalie passed on the information to her kids as she gathered blankets for Nathan and Ezra to sleep on the downstairs sofas in the game room while Josiah slept in the guest room (Chris had taken over his bedroom).

JD kept peering out the window, if he had a tail he would be wagging it just knowing that any moment he would have visitors. "I thought nephews were supposed to be younger than uncles."

"Most of the time they are sweetie but not in this case." Natalie told him as she got the family dinner table ready.

"Do I get to tell them what to do since I am their uncle?" JD looked over at his mother.

"No, it doesn't work like that." Natalie gave him an amused grin.

"So, I can't send them to their rooms if they are being bad or I can't tell them it's past their bedtime or to do their homework." JD questioned on.

"Josiah can do that," Natalie told him.

"What grades will they be in?" Vin asked this time.

"Oh, I don't know. I imagine Ezra would be in the same grade as yours and Nathan would be placed with Buck or Chris." Natalie answered stepping back to look at the table.

"That is a lot of food," Buck rubbed his hands together as he peered down at the table covered with home cooked meals of different sorts. "I am not complaining and don't worry for a second that it will go to waste."

"I never do," Natalie patted his shoulder.

"They are here!" JD bounced away from the window and towards the door. "Our big brother and our nephews are here!"

"Yeah, that does sound weird." Vin whispered to Chris.

"They have names," Chris reminded him.

"People are going to ask how we are related," Vin whispered to Chris, "Then they will expect an explanation."

"Doesn't mean we need to give them one," Chris ruffled his hair and grinned as Vin slapped his hand away then tried to smooth it out. "It isn't hard to figure out."

JD flung the door open once the jeep pulled up and stepped out onto the porch with curiously. Natalie was right behind him, beaming with pride and the others slowly moved out to meet the awkwardness head on. Max, the older Larabee dog followed slowly only to flop on the porch with some thumps of his tail while Diesel, still under a year old, bounced towards the jeep to greet the guest.

"This is where it gets weird," Nathan whispered to Ezra in the back of the jeep where they surveyed their relatives merge to the porch.

Ezra gave him a funny look, "Now you think it is getting weird? Where were you when we first arrived?"

"You can't go telling me you're not nervous," Nathan gave him a skeptic look. "Look at them. That one has death ray vision. Look at his glare. And that other being as big as a moose!"

"As many step-siblings I have had," Ezra raised an eyebrow. " I had more than enough practice. What do I have to be nervous about?"

"What if they don't like us?" Nathan stated. "They are our family."

"Then they don't like us," Ezra shrugged. "You still have me. I can not go anywhere. I am fashioning a striking designer bracelet. It won't permit me to get too far."

"I don't need to see your stupid monitor, put your leg down," Nathan pushed Ezra's foot down on the floor but gave him a thoughtful look. "We do have each other, you are right about that."

"For the best of times," Ezra held up his knuckles.

"For the worst of times," Nathan gave his younger brother a warm smile and lightly bumped his knuckles with his own. "Don't be forgetting that."

Josiah followed his father towards the house, giving his best grinned though Ezra had warned him that it would scare more people than it would ease them. "So these are my brothers?" He stayed off the steps and had to look upwards to see them. "It's a fine group of boys, Mom." JD was sitting on the top step, Vin had a leg over the railing, Chris stood with his arms folded in front of him and Buck leaned against the door frame.

"They sure are," Natalie elbowed Buck in the side.

"Hey there!" Buck took his mother's sharp hint and bounced down the steps with his hand reaching towards Josiah. "It's about time I see you outside of the box," Buck shook Josiah's hand and gave him a one arm hug. "You look bigger this way."

Josiah beamed, "Buck! I can say the same about you. You're what, seven-teen now? Dad said you are driving now."

"Turned it back in January." Buck nodded his head.

Josiah smacked his forehead in forgetfulness. "New Year baby, that's right."

"Now, I haven't got my own car yet but I'm working on it. See, I got this sweet little thing and going to take her down by the lake for a little fishin'," Buck gave him a wink. "She has the prettiest name in town and…"

"And Vin and JD are going with you," John reminded Buck.

"I didn't forget that," Buck held his hands up to his side to express his knowledge. "But I was hoping you did."

"We are going fishing!" JD stood up from his step. "Now!"

"No not now, kid." Buck waved a hush signal to him.

"But when?" JD started to whine.

"You are JD," Josiah reached over and ruffled his hair. "You are smaller than I thought. You're ten, right?"

"I am a lot older than I look," JD reassured him. "I'm eleven now. Be twelve on August eight-teen."

"Really?" Josiah shook his head in disbelief. "You are older than you look."

Vin coughed a laugh back as his mother gave him a warning look.

Josiah turned his pale blue eyes on Vin. "And you are Vin. Turned fifteen just last October, right?"

Vin gave a little nod but stayed near the railing. "October seventh."

"I heard you were interested in some of the places I have traveled" Josiah tried to start a conversation.

Vin gave a shrug and a small nod of his head.

"I am looking forward to our long conversations. I have a lot of pictures and coins to show you." Josiah looked to the last, "And Chris. Would you look at you."

"It's finally good to meet you in person, Josiah." Chris replied, stepping down to shake his older brother's hand.

"You are big like Bigfoot!" JD piped in.

"JD!" Natalie scorned him while giving him that mother's look of one that did wrong.

"And you know Bigfoot do you?" Josiah jokes.

"I have seen him on TV and I saw you on the computer screen," JD scrunch his face and ignoring his mother. "You seem to be about the same size."

"Why not haul my grand-babies out of the jeep and get in here to eat." Natalie called out on catching Buck rub his stomach. Between him and Vin, she wasn't sure how any food remain in the house at all.

"Mom is a grandma," JD tossed his mother a playful smile. "That's sooo weird!"

"So are you," Vin shot out and earned a warning glance from his father.

"I am starving!" Buck clapped his hands together. "I can't be the only one! I have been breathing in her cooking from the time I got home," Buck boomed a he patted his eldest brother on the shoulder. "We can get what you need from your truck after dinner."

Buck strolled over to the jeep, swinging the door open wide and peering inside at the backseat passengers. "You boys need a hand with anything?"

"Uh, no." Nathan shook his head. "We don't have anything. Thanks anyways."

"Then why are you two still in here? Dinner is about to be served," Buck took a step back but kept his one hand on the door while he used the other to hit the top of the jeep. "The only one you have to fear is mom and her camera. She has already placed in new batteries and she has a backup supply. I promise, that is the worse you will endure."

"He lies," Vin said from the porch, trying to peer into the back of the jeep. "The worse is hearing about his new girlfriend and his past dates."

"That is information for you to be storing," Buck pointed at Vin. "There will be a time when you will need to fall back on my stories to guide you. And for the future know I will not be offended if you put me on speed dial."

Vin unhooked his leg from the railing of the porch and started to roll up his blue-jeans. "It's getting deep…"

"Hush you two," Natalie swatted Vin's rear lightly. "Go inside and wash up. You too JD."

Nathan looked over at Ezra who rolled his eyes but did open his side of the door and step out, rounding front of the jeep to face Josiah's brothers or one could say, his uncles.

"They don't look like brothers," JD mentioned to Vin

"They are half-brothers," Vin reminded him.

"Still don't look like ...," JD rubbed the back of his head where Vin slapped him.

* * *

The meal went considerably well once the tension had broken between the two groups and Natalie was pleased that instead of the good plates, she took John's advice to use paper plates for fast clean up and more time with the kids. After dinner the younger kids went into the game room while the adults stayed in the adjoining room to talk. Josiah's stories kept them intrigued and he had gotten up once to get an album from the pickup truck to show his family. Nathan traveled out from the game room to sit with the adults after an hour.

"Too much for you?" Josiah asked his oldest with a nod in the direction of the four other boys who were a little louder.

"It's just our age difference," Nathan glanced over at Buck who was in four-way dirt bike race with Ezra, Vin and JD on the game station. "I mean to say there is a maturity difference."

"You called that," Chris laughed out loud.

"We can hear you!" Buck called over his shoulder. "Having fun is not a maturity issue."

"Ooh," Ezra tisked. "That collision is going to encumber the rapidity of your motorbike."

Buck turned back to the screen to see that he had collided with a boulder. "Will you three quite knocking into me. This ganging up is not going to work as you all think. I will beat you all in the end."

"I don't know," Vin smirked. "Seems to be working since you are in last place."

"Hey Ez," JD took a quick glance to the boy sitting next to him then over to Vin for more inviting support. "You should come fishing with us! Shouldn't he, Vin?"

"Nat too," Vin nodded his head. "Do you like fishing Nat?"

"I do but I don't want to invade in your fishing trip with your brother," Nathan called back from the adjoining room. "And I'd like to get settled in. But maybe I could go another time?"

"Aww," JD whined. "It would be so much more fun if you two came too."

"It wasn't supposed to be a brother and brother bonding trip," Buck growled, still not liking to share his free time between Bree and the boys.

"Don't you love us Buck?" Vin batted his eyes at his brother.

"You know that has nothing to do with it," Buck gave JD's head a gentle push back towards the sofa cushion so he could see the screen.

"Oh right, it has to do with Breeeee," JD sang.

"JD's out of the race!" Vin hooted as JD crashed into the railing and over the bank.

"Aw," JD frowned as his split screen stated his game was over. "Sugar nuts!"

"That there is Karma," Buck chuckled at JD's lost. Currently he was in a bumping match with Ezra as they both tried to knock each other off the side of the track and into other objects. Vin kept a good pace ahead for now.

"So can Ez come fishing with us too?" JD asked as he set his controller down. He slowly walked into the adjoining room to sit on the edge of his father's arm rest. "It would be so much better if he came along too. We can show him where we ride horses and where we camp and where we go swimming and where we go sledding and…"

"I get it," John patted JD's knee.

"We can horseback!" JD eyes widen. "That would be even better!"

"I'm not taking Bree horse backing," Buck muttered. "My date is getting bigger and bigger."

"Thought you were taking her because you were going there anyways," John mused.

"So can he come? Pllleeeasseee," JD held his hands together, pleading for Ezra.

"I think it would have been a great idea, but Ezra may not able to go," Josiah looked over at his youngest who seemed to be getting along with Buck and Vin just fine. "I need to get his monitor remapped. I had made that promise that it would be done as soon as I got into town. I doubt he would be able to go that far off the grid. "

Ezra opened his mouth but for once he decided to keep it closed was better. He had to ponder over Josiah's words of 'off the grid'. Could he stumbled onto a loophole, he wondered.

"Aw," JD frowned and seemed more disappointed than Ezra was about the trip. He had questioned Ezra about the device and though it sounded neat, he was starting to see the down side of the device.

"We all know how it goes. He did the crime and now he needs to serve the time," Josiah stated, directing his attention to Ezra. "Isn't that right son?"

"They didn't actually catch me moving the…." Ezra started.

"They had you on camera," Nathan cut him off.

"It was a blurry image," Ezra reminded him.

"He will never learn," Nathan said quietly for Josiah to hear.

"I am required to have this plastic band wrapped around appendage for the next four months," Ezra explained to JD, still focusing on trying to have Buck collide with objects in their path. "Summer will have arrived by then and I am certain we will find a chance for an adventure after that time frame."

"Arrive?" Vin shook his head at Ezra. "More like over!"

"Unless you find trouble again," Nathan spoke up for his brother to hear him. "Or I should say, if they don't catch you causing trouble because you will."

"Always and forever my supportive motivator," Ezra kept his eyes on the screen but raised his voice for Nathan could hear.

"Once you all get settled in," Vin spoke up for Nathan to hear in the adjoining room. "Think I could spend the night? I heard the place is haunted!"

Nathan chuckled, "I think the mutated lead paint eating rats would kept the ghost at bay."

"Kids at school dare each other to sleep in there for one night but no one has." JD's eyes were wide. "Cause of the ghosts!"

"Because it is illegal to trespass," John corrected his youngest.

"JD?" The tone of Ezra's voice made Nathan's eyebrows shoot up."Do you suppose that your classmates would be interested in a spiritual tour? For a reasonable fee, naturally."

"Like a ghost tour of your place?" JD's eyes grew large with excitement of the idea. "Oh man! That would be so much fun!"

"That would be!" Vin agreed smiling. "We could dress up and scare people!"

"You are not going to turn our home into a ghost touring business!" Nathan shook his head in disbelief. "That's our private dwelling and you want to bring random strangers in it and let them wander about?"

"For a fee," Ezra added quickly. "I believe it would be a profitable revenue to consider and with it being as such, within the walls of our new establishment, why Josiah would be allowed to take advantage of the home business tax break."

"Dad?" Nathan looked over at their father.

"Relax," Josiah assured him. "I have no interest in turning our home into a ghost touring business. I would like to turn it into part of my practice however. It is spacious enough but that would be once the place is restored on the bottom level."

"And yet, in the meantime, the house is in the perfect state to consider the tour. It would be a shame not to take advantage of it's eerie interior state ." Ezra frowned as Vin passed his motorbike on the screen for the second time. He was two laps down. He knew a hidden shortcut and was considering taking it but perhaps another day when a wager would be involved and his success profitable.

* * *

"But I want to sleep down here," JD whined and pointed to where Ezra and Nathan were settling on the two L-shaped sofas.

"Then you will be up all night and you have school in the morning," Natalie pointed to the stairs.

"But Mom," JD tried to make eye contact with his father for back up, but John was pretending to find the newspaper more interesting.

"They will be here in the morning," Natalie reminded him.

"Fine." JD turned to the game room, peering in the dim lighted room. He leaned heavily against the frame of the two rooms. "Night Ezra."

"Good-night JD," Ezra looked over at the back of the sofa he was sitting on "Have a peaceful night's slumber."

"Good-night Nathan." JD voice sounded pitiful with gloom of having to part ways with his two new friends.

"Good-night JD." Nathan gave him a bright smile and a little wave. "See you in the morn'."

JD gave a deep sigh and slowly dragged his feet up the steps, mumbling good-nights to his parents with each step.

"My little brother is one for the dramatic," Josiah smiled as he watched his youngest brother slowly climb the stairs.

"Oh, that is his better moods," John set the paper aside. "I need to get up early as well. I can't promise but we will attempt to keep the morning noise down low."

"Nathan and I are usually earlier risers and Ezra will sleep through a home invasion." Josiah looked over at his sons who both had their iPad out.

Natalie went over to the two sofas."You boys OK? Do you need anything?"

"Thank you but we are good," Nathan smiled warmly at her.

"If you need anything and you can't find it on your own, just give me a yell." She bent forward and kissed Nathan on the forehead and turned towards Ezra to do the same. "I will hear you."

"Pleasant evening, Ma'am." Ezra replied. "And thank you for the enjoyable supper."

"Your welcome sweetie pie," Natalie ruffled his hair. "Left overs are in the fridge if you two happen to get a late night craven."

* * *

Nathan woke with an eerie feeling of being watched. He slowly opened his eyes, blinking back the bright light shining through the window. JD stood between both L-shape sofas looking back and forth from one brother to the other. Nathan assumed he was probably trying to telekinetic tell the two brothers to wake up.

"JD?" Nathan sat up, rubbing his eyes to get the sleep out. "Good morning."

JD's eyes widen at Nathan, "You're up! We are going to have breakfast. I got the extra chair for you!" JD told him before looking over at the pile of covers on the other sofa and started to refocusing his silent gaze on the still sleeping form.

Nathan frowned, recognizing one of the blankets he was using last night now being used by his brother. He shook his head at his brother's late-night thievery. "He ain't going to be up any time soon but I could eat. Do I have time for a shower?"

"You would if you could find an empty bathroom." JD frowned and pulled a face. "Buck tells me to pee outside on the trees."

"I will take my chances on an empty bathroom first," Nathan stood up to find a bathroom.

"You sure he is even under those covers," JD asked as he reached out to poke the pile.

"I'm sure and he bites in the morning so I wouldn't be going about poking him," Nathan warned him while nodding at his brother. "I still have teeth marks from when I poked him two years ago."

JD's eyes grew wide and he quickly put his hands to his side and slowly backed away before turning and running back to the kitchen.

"Nat is up!" JD announced to his family as he sprung into his chair. "Ezra isn't. Nat says he bites so I'm not going to wake him."

"You weren't supposed to wake them anyways," Vin glared at his brother. "You are so annoying."

"No I ain't. Besides if I didn't then they wouldn't be up in time to see me go to school or to eat breakfast with me," JD told him in a matter-of-fact tone.

"I am truly sorry," Vin mocked. "I had no idea you were their highlight of the day."

"Well," JD pour milk into his cereal bowl. "Now you know."

"Good morning," Josiah deep voice seeped into the kitchen. He bent his head down to kiss his mother on the cheek.

"Good morning," Natalie grinned, deciding she would never get tired of having all her children under the same roof. "Do you want coffee."

"Please," Josiah accepted the large mug she handed to him.

"Best get some food," Buck nodded towards the serving dishes. "It'll disappear on ya if you don't grab it now."

"Morning," Nathan came up from behind them and thanks to JD pointing to a chair next to him, he found a place to sit at the table.

"We have cereal and eggs and toast and bacon and butter and some berries and…"JD started rattling off what was clearly easy for Nathan to see for himself.

"He isn't blind, JD." Vin rolled his eyes.

"I am trying to be a good host," JD glared at his brother. "Vin doesn't like school, so he is always grumpy."

"JD!" Vin warned him.

"Too early for you boys to be starting," John said as he made his way into the kitchen. It was their normal scene. JD and Vin bickering. Buck shoveling in most of the food. Chris talking to Sarah. Natalie, who had the rest of the week off for Josiah's arrival, finally sitting at the table.

The only difference was to the two new faces. Buck was telling Nathan about school and Natalie was pleased to find that Nathan on a serious path to become a doctor.

"Looks as we lost a person," John looked over at his oldest boy. "Was yesterday too much for him?"

"Mornings are too much for him," Josiah snorted over the rim of his coffee. "It's easier to let him sleep in."

"Breakfast is the best part of the morning." Buck smiled and put his spoon down. "Be back. Don't anyone be swooping down on my plate!"

Josiah watched Buck leave a little curious at his brother's departure.

"When he starts school with us, he will have to get up." JD told Josiah with a very serious face. "They don't like us being late even if we are really sleepy. If you are late for school and no excuse you have to stay later."

"I thought you were taking him to the station to get mapped out?" Nathan inquired as be placed some eggs onto his plate.

"We are but that is at noon," Josiah told him and looked over at his father. "I am supposed to see a Judge Travis."

John nodded his head, "You will like him. A very fair man. He has a good head too. I am sure he will already have things starting to process and show an outline of the town and where Ezra's boundaries will be. I would have liked him to have told me about the boys."

"I guess he thought I already would had mentioned it," Josiah shrugged. "He seemed like an agreeable fellow over the phone. Very understanding."

"Nathan," Natalie looked over at her oldest grandson. "If you rather not go with them to the station, you are more than welcome to stick with me for the day. I need to go shopping but other than that I will be home. I have some old medical books you may be interested in. They do lean toward dental practices but I am sure we can find some that are overlapping the medical field."

"Is that ok?" Nathan looked over at his father.

"I couldn't leave you in better hands," Josiah smiled at his son.

"SON OF BITCH!" Buck came storming into the kitchen holding his hand. "He bit me!"

"I told you!" JD's eyes were huge as he tried to look at his brother's wounded hand. "Did he take your finger off! Do you need to go to the hospital!"

"Whoah!" Vin whistled at the clear teeth marks embedded into Buck's hand. "That does look nasty. Bet that'll bruise."

"Excuse me," Josiah put his mug down and stormed into the game room.

"You know," Buck examined his injured hand carefully. "It is a mighty impressive mark. I know a few lovelies who I may find sympathy from."

"Leave it to Buck to find a way to turn a little bite mark into getting attention from the female population." Chris smiled at his father.

"Little bite?" Buck put his hand in front of his older brother."Looks to me that those are adult teeth marks embedded into my flesh not marks from a teething babe. That boy has some sharp canines on him."

"Get it away," Chris shoved Buck's hand away.

About that time Josiah came back into the kitchen herding Ezra in front of him, who still had a blanket wrapped about him..

"I apologize for inflicting pain upon your person, Buck." Ezra stated with groggy voice, his words slurring in his accent. He sound no way convincing.

"Well, we can't do anything now but accept the apology and let it go." Buck gave Ezra a mild look. "Might consider breaking that habit though. Why one day you will be woken by a pretty gal and she may not find it to be appealing." Buck tilted his head slightly and gave a shrug.. "Then again there are some ladies who enjoy a…."

"Buck," Natalie gave him a warning look. "You hush that mouth."

"Yes ma'am," Buck did look ashamed for bringing the topic up around the younger boys but he knew at that age, they knew more than Natalie thought they knew.

"Have a seat, son." Josiah pulled out a chair next to the one he had been seated at. Ezra dutiful sat down and stared at the empty plate before him. Josiah shook his head in wonder as he started to put some food on his son's plate.

"What time is everyone going to be home?" Natalie asked around the table.

"Near six," Buck replied. "Got practice after school."

"Whenever the bus drops me off," Vin sighed. He hated the long bus ride but if Buck had practice, he couldn't get a ride home from him. He looked over at Chris. "Unless you can give me a ride?"

"I'm dropping Sarah off but if you are ok with that," Chris replied with a shrug of don't care. "I'm not working at the garage today."

"Your goodbye kisses don't last as long as the ride on the bus." Vin brightened a little.

"That there is an insult," Buck sat back down at his plate, taking noticed that Vin had a little more bacon and he had a little less. "But seems to me that there are some truth to those words. You don't kiss that girl long enough, brother."

"And I don't need your advice on how to kiss my girl," Chris humored Buck.

"Me too," JD added. "Can you pick me up too?"

"JD, I wouldn't leave you behind,"Chris assured his little brother with a wink.

"John?" Natalie looked over at her husband.

John shoveled some eggs onto his bread. "If it's a quiet day then I should be able to wrap things up early, be home by six."

"Ez, can I have your bacon if your not going to eat that?" Vin asked pointing to the plate that Ezra stared at in a morning daze.

Ezra looked up from his plate and blinked at Vin as if he was trying to understand a foreign language.

"You can give me mine back," Buck grumbled trying to steal some of the bacon from Vin but the younger boy wasn't going to let that fork near his food.

"Sorry, Mom." Josiah slid Ezra's plate to the middle of the table where forks from his siblings attacked the meal with such a brutally force that it would scare a savaged caveman. Josiah's eyes widen at the now empty plate. "I assure you it's the mornings and not your food. His internal alarm doesn't go off till afternoons even then he seems to eat for survival and not so much for enjoyment."

"Not everyone is a morning person," Natalie waved her hand but looked a little concern. She was pretty sure Ezra went back to sleep sitting at the table. "He should try to drink some orange juice or milk, it may give him some energy to face the morning."

"When he wakes up," Nathan scraped his eggs on his fork. "He will drink coffee and think he can run on the day with that."

"I will take him under my wing" Vin assured Josiah. "I will have him eating throughout the whole day."

"On sweets," Chris amused. "Then you have a dental issue but Mom works at the office so you may get a discount."

* * *

That weekend, the fishing trip didn't go as Buck had wanted it too. His plan was simple. Place Vin and JD far away from Bree's blanket she had brought for ground cover and he would sneak on back to her. Get a few make out sessions with the girl before requesting a little more alone time with her the following week to finish what he started.

JD however kept running over to Buck dripping every catch he had over the two blanket goers. Whether it be a lost shoe or slimy water grass, JD would show it with his full excitement while shouting, "Hey Buck! Look what I caught!"

At the end of there fishing extrusion, Buck was fuming at his father, knowing that his father had an idea how it would have gone the whole time.

Vin was first out of the jeep, he noticed a few extra cars parked along their dirt road and figured people were already arriving. His blue eyes, the same shade as his mother's, lite up on seeing Josiah double cab pick-up parked under a tree for shade.

"Hey," Vin strolled up onto the porch where Judge Orrin Travis and his dad were leaning against the porch frame chatting with Josiah.

"Have a nice trip?" John asked his son knowing the answer already. Vin thrived in the outdoors and it brought a healthy glow to his face and a special shine in his eyes.

"I did. JD got a little bored and think Buck is a little peeved," Vin grinned knowing at his father. "Didn't advance as far as he had hoped I suppose."

"I was hoping for that," John exchanged amused looks with Orrin and Josiah.

"Seen Ezra?" Vin looked around the yard hoping to spot the other boy.

John nodded towards the back of the house,"In the tree-house." He watched Vin jog around back before Buck stole his attention.

"Dad," Buck stood before him, how the boy got so tall was lost on John. "I can't be taking those boys on anymore of my dates!"

Josiah and John had started a small tree-house when Josiah was nine. It started to erode with weather and age. Then at the age of seven and six, Chris and Buck reshaped it with add ons and with John's help turned it back to its former box in the tree, but better Buck would say. They even added another tree-house to the tree next to it. It wasn't long before Vin requested zip lines and JD requested swinging bridge from one tree to the other. It was now a mega tree'house with tire swings below.

Vin popped his head up through the floor door and spotted Nathan and Ezra. Nathan was laying on his side by the tree-house window and had an open book in his hand, looked to Vin like it was one of Natalie's old ones.

Ezra was at the opposite wall, sitting cross leg with his back against the wall and playing a game of solitary with odd looking cards. There were no numbers, just the suit pictures.

"You two hiding out?" Vin pulled himself up through the door and scooted backward against the wall between the two brothers. He stretched his legs out in front of him, crossing them at the ankles.

"Actually, we were." Nathan place marked his book to give Vin his full attention. "I kinda feel as I am on display."

"I do not fancy another pinch of the cheek," Ezra drawled, rubbing his face which did kind of looked red to Vin.

"Guess you both are kinda the main attraction." Vin leaned his head back against the wall. "Goes to show you how sleepy this town is. You two are fresh meat, I guess you could say."

"Well, I don't like it none." Nathan peered out the tree-house window at the guest arriving.

Vin gave a shrug, it didn't matter if the other liked it or not, a fact was a fact.

"Coming up!" They heard JD shouted before he popped the the floor door open and continued climbing inside. A girl of his age was right on his heels, telling him to hurry along.

"This is Casey Wells." JD waved a hand to his best friend. "She is Nettie Wells grand-daughter."

"Hi all," She waved at the group of boys.

Nathan nodded in her direction but went back to his book.

"Pleasure," Ezra granted her acknowledgment and Casey beamed with delight.

"Heard you are from New York!" She looked from Nathan to Ezra with a curious tilt of her head. "You don't sound much like a New Yorker."

"How would you know?" JD snorted. "You never have been to New York."

"Neither have you!" Casey retorted.

"Ez is Georgia grown," Nathan smiled over at her as he stood, stretching out. "I grew up in New York. Think I am going to try and find Buck or Chris."

JD and Casey moved aside so he could slip out by way of the floor hatch.

Casey stepped over Vin's outstretched legs to settle on a spot close to Ezra, sitting cross leg as he was, her knee touching his leg. She looked down at the game he was playing and back up to his face. "Must be exciting to have lived in New York, huh? All those fancy shops and tall buildings! Always something exciting going on all around you!"

"Not exactly a place I would wish to call home," Ezra stated, staring at the lack of space she had given him. "The climate is dreadful. Though it does offer a certain kind of establishment for one to gain a small fortune."

Casey blinked a bit but nodded her head as she knew what he was talking about. "I figured it was. Hey!" She looked down at his cards he had started to shuffle nimbly. " I like to play cards too! I am real good at GoFish!"

Ezra looked over at Vin who wore an amused grin. All last year, he was Casey's crush so he was more than pleased to hand that torch to Ezra.

"Are you now?" Ezra said rather flatly.

"I want to play too!" JD scooted closer to where Ezra and Casey sat.

"Well that does sound most appealing, I must say. Unfortunately, this deck of cards have a sentimental value to myself and I rather that I am the only one to handle them." Ezra gave the two younger kids his a crooked grin at the look of their disappointed faces. "Never fear. I do have spare deck in my luggage within the house. It will only take a moment to fetch it."

"Oh. OK." Casey nodded her head.

"Or you could use mine! They are on my dresser!" JD offered.

Vin picked up on Ezra's plan of escape quick enough."Think I may go with you. Might find it faster."

"What a marvelous idea!" Ezra looked at the other two as he stood up and quickly making it for the floor door. "If you two would kindly excuse our departure, we shall only be gone for brief moment."

"Like he said," Vin followed Ezra out, giving his brother and Casey a quick wink. " We will be back."

"He seems real nice," Casey told JD with a sigh. "He talks like honey."

JD gave her a weird look."Honey doesn't talk. Dad says he is trouble."

"Your daddy says that about everyone," Casey picked up Vin's telescope and started 'scouting' the area below.

Vin and Ezra quickly ducked inside the house without being seen but not to look for Ezra's spare deck but to place the on he did have within his bags.

"If we go out the side door we may be able to avoid most of the gathering," Vin told him peering from behind the curtain.

The two boys walked out into the side yard only to witness Buck and Bree giving a healthy does of mouth to mouth. Bree had her back against the wall of the house and Buck was leaning into her, one of his arms bracing against the wall behind her while the arm was around her waist.

The two boys slipped around the corner without the two lip-lockers noticing. Earlier that week, John had washed the outside windows. The two empty buckets were on the ground with some rags and the ladder still leaning against the home. Both boys made sure not to go under the ladder and they stepped over the hose.

"Dad maybe right about him needing a cold shower," Vin was grinning but shaking his head. "Seems as he always has his tongue in someone else's mouth."

"You don't say," Ezra paused and step backwards. "Perhaps we can help in that matter."

Vin caught the mischievous gleam in the other's eyes and smiled. "Whatcha have in mine?"

Ezra smiled widened, showing his set of dimples."You don't harbour a fear of heights by any chance, do you Vin?"

* * *

"JD!" Cassie waved him over to the tree-house window and pointed to the roof of his house. She was still spying with Vin's telescope and JD had his binoculars that he was using. They both pulled their lens towards the roof and watch as Vin and Ezra, who were balancing quite well on the edge of the roof, held a bucket of water over their targets heads.

"Looks as we are going to have a lot of action and a little drama in our show, Cass." JD made himself comfortable.

"We should had brought up chips." Casey added.h

Chris and Sarah were walking, hand in hand, back towards the house, having taken a little stroll down the dirt road.

Chris paused for a moment on seeing his brother and Ezra on top of the roof but at his angle, he couldn't see Bree and Buck below. "What are those two up too?"

"Trouble," Sarah guessed, pulling Chris' hand so they could finish walking up to the party.

* * *

The guest, invited and uninvited alike, all hushed on hearing Bree scream as she ran from the side of the house towards the large group. She was completely drenched. Her mascara running down her cheek in a black stream of ink tears, her hair that she kept in a tidy style was stick to her face.

Natalie reached the girl with a towel opened.

"I have some spare clothes in Chris' truck," Sarah put her arm around Bree's shoulder. "We will get you cleaned up."

Josiah, John and Orrin glanced at each other and hurried to the side of the house to see a soaking wet Buck kicking the ladder away from the wall of the house, leaving one escape route out of admission.

"I am going to kill the both of you!" Buck yelled pointing his finger up towards the roof of the house, the two teenage boys looking down. He stomped passed his father."I'm going to kill them!"

"Just don't mess up the house!" John called after him. He looked back up at the roof to see Vin and Ezra slipping into an open window.

Buck stormed up the stairs in time to see Vin try to go out onto the roof of the porch, which was a lower drop from the main roof. Buck pulled him back in by his britches, gave a quick look out the window but didn't spot Ezra.

"You two split up, did you!" Buck voiced boomed as he tossed his much lighter brother over his shoulder, giving Vin a hard swat in the rear. "Think its funny to ruin a man's alone time with a fine lady, do you now!"

Vin reached out, grabbing the banister as Buck started walking down the stairs. "Just thought you needed a little cooling off!"

Buck pried Vin's hands lose and proceeded out the door and outside. "It seems as I'm not the only one that needs some cooling, boy!"

"It was a joke!" Vin started to try to kick free at seeing Buck's direction was towards the horses water trough. "Aw, hell Buck! Peso slobbered in that!"

"Oh, I know brother!" Buck flipped the boy off his shoulder and into the trough. He then dunked Vin's head twice for good measures.

Vin came up spluttering water and wiping his face clear.

Buck leaned down so he was eye level with his brother. "Now where is your crime partner?"

"I don't know. We split up." Vin glared at him. "He probably went to the barn."

"Figured you two split. Doubt he ran to the barn though." He stood up and was about to leave before deciding on more head dunk was needed.

After Vin came sputtering up once more, Buck went back into the house, glancing around. The game room and adjoining room were empty. Knowing his father's office was locked because of all the guests, he went towards the closed bathroom door but it was locked.

"Boy! You best come out if your in there!" Buck yelled.

"Just me and Bree," Sarah cracked the door open.

"Oh, sorry." Buck ran his hand through his wet hair. "I do apologize for the young ones irrational prank, Bree. I hope you will give me a chance to make it up to you...far away from those two."

Bree gave him a shrug of uncertainty and softly closed the door.

"I should kill them both." Buck mumbled walking towards the kitchen. "Have them revived and kill them again!"

And there he spotted the other trouble maker. Hiding in plain sight, sitting at the table with a spoon of cake batter among the towns grandmothers who were baking and icing more cupcakes.

"Buck," Mrs. Worth looked over Buck from head to toe. "You are all wet."

"My goodness! Is it raining!" Mrs. Thompson peered out the window. "It wasn't supposed to. Not today."

"You're right. It isn't supposed to rain today but tomorrow," Mrs. Keith shook her head. "It is and I think it will be bad. Why my arthritis has been flaring up!"

Buck leaned over the table for the bottles of water sitting for guest. "Hiding behind aprons? Not very sporting of you." He whispered.

"Sanctuary." Erza grinned at the slightly older boy.

Buck nodded his head slowly. "Sanctuary is it." He gave the table a hard tap with two fingers. "Sanctuary." He turned and walked off, catching a glimpse of Chris moving outside, he gave Ezra on last look over his shoulder. "Gotta come out sometime."

"Excuse me, ladies." Ezra quickly stood up as soon as Buck rounded the corner, dropping the spoon in the sink and headed outside by the way of the kitchen door. He praised himself for his quick actions as he gently and quietly shut the door behind him and when he turned forward he was greeted with a blast of icy cold water.

Chris set the ice cooler on the ground, grinning ear to ear at the shock that washed over his nephew's face. He wiped his hands against each other and looked over at Buck.

"Didn't want you to get all sweaty with the running around you were doing," Buck was leaning against the side of the porch rail, having the perfect spot to watch it all play out.

"Game well played," John gave Buck a pat on the back. "If you boys are done with your water fight why don't you go get something to eat before its all gone."

Ezra turned to go back into the house.

"Where are you going, son?" Josiah asked Ezra, throwing him a towel.

"I am in need of drier clothes," Ezra caught the towel and looked at his father as it was obvious.

"It's a sunny and warm day. Get something to eat," Josiah nodded to the buffet table."And don't be playing on rooftops, your going to break your neck!"

Ezra passed Nathan and a young lady he seemed to be chatting with, ignoring the eye roll from his brother, he walked to the buffet table. Vin, who was still wearing his wet clothes too, was already there and holding a plate with a piece of chocolate cake the size of Texas on it.

Vin handed him an empty plate. "Cake is over there. It's going fast."

"I would imagine it would, you took half of it." Ezra softly replied taking the plate from Vin. He took a moment to look at Vin's dessert plate again before he started down the table trying to find something that he may find pleasing to his stomach and keep Josiah off his back. He stopped when a slender arm reached out in front of him, taking a foam cup filled with fruit.

He could feel his heart flutter as the girl looked at him with lowered lashes. She was near his own age, perhaps a little older and her thick, brown hair was so very long and her smile…

" You should try the Pico de Gallo," She looked down at his empty plate. "I made it fresh this morning."

"No doubt that I shall try it then," Ezra smiled enough to show off his dimples. "Ezra Standish by the way and you are?"

"Inez Rocios," She popped a grape into her mouth and smiled. "Ezra? You are dripping all over the chips."

He backed away from the table staring at the bowl of chips that his elbow was hovering over. When he looked back at the Spanish girl, she was gone.

"Don't be getting any of your funny ideas," Buck said from behind him. He too was shunned from the house until he dried. Natalie was upset with him dripping all about the house. " I had my eye on that lovely for awhile. Only a matter of time till she melts in my arms like butter."

"I thought you were with that charming 'sunshine' over by Christopher and Sarah." Ezra took a cup of fruit from the serving tray while nodding in Bree's direction.

"Oh I am, for now." Buck gave him a pat on the shoulder ." Just because I caught a fish, doesn't mean I am done fishing in the pond! Besides, she is too much for you."

Ezra watched Buck strode off to a little group. He glanced over at his father on hearing his deep laugh and was surprised to see his Josiah talking to two ladies.

"That there is Mrs. Janet Dubonnet and her daughter Emma Dubonnet. Mrs. Dubonnet has been trying to get her daughter married off to every single man that wandered into this town." Vin told him while grabbing some peanut butter fudge and two creme puffs. He leaned closer to Ezra in order to keep their conversation low. "Miss Emma has three daughters of her own. Two non-identical twins about our age. Ella, however is nine-teen, she was dating Chris just two years ago. She is over there speaking with Emmett Anderson, he is the one in the grey shirt. If you ask me, Katie is the only sane one out of the Dubonnet clan. Just my opinion."

"How unfortunate for Josiah," Ezra drawled leaning against the buffet table.

"Your dad is going to have his hands full with that one." Vin took a bite out of his cream puff and looked at Ezra's plate with a small cup of fruit. He took Ezra's plate and turned towards the buffet table, placing a healthy heaping of potato salad onto the plate. "Can't allow good food to go to waste. Hey! It's our lucky day!" He picked up two chicken legs covered fried crust and placed them on his plate and took two more and placed it on Ezra's plate. "Mrs. Potter makes the best fried chicken! And look! Strawberry cream pie! Bet Nellie Wells made it. You have to try it ,Ez!" He put a big piece of pie on Ezra's plate and one on his own, he then handed Ezra's plate back to him.

"Thank you, Vin." Ezra frowned at his plate wondering how he was going to eat all this food. He looked at Vin's plate. "What did you do with your cake?"

"I ate it, of course." Vin grinned at him before taking a bite out of his chicken.

"Hey Vin!"

Vin turned around upon hearing his name being called and gave a soft groan as two teenage girls approached them. "And here are the twins now."

"Good show you put on," one of the girls said while taking a chicken leg from the picnic table.

"Maddie and Kate Dubonnet," Vin pointed to Maddie with the chicken leg and Kate as the blonde. "This here is Ezra Standish."

"Ladies," Ezra gave both girls a friendly smile.

"What's that?" Maddie pointed the chicken leg at Ezra's foot indicating the device around his ankle. He wished someone would disarm her of the chicken. "You get into trouble? Break the law or something?" The girl suddenly grinned at Ezra, one he did not like.

"No, not at all." Ezra looked back up at her. "They were randomly handing them out."

"Maddie," Kate pulled her sister's arm. "Let's go. Ella is waving us over."

"But I want to know what he did," Maddie looked over her shoulder at Ezra and Vin as her sister kept pulling her away.

"Stay clear of Maddie." Vin's face was washed away from any humor. "That girl isn't right. You don't want her attention none."

"I should say not,"Ezra nodded his head in agreement. For once, that was one warning he most certainly felt he should heed. There was something that seemed off about the girl.

* * *

John found Natalie on the porch swing much later that night. The house grew silent with all their children and grandchildren asleep. John made a mental note, Ezra was still up but playing a quiet game on his ipad.

John sat down next to her, throwing his arm around her shoulder and bringing her closer to him. "Did you have a good birthday?" He asked, kissing her temple.

"I did." Natalie smiled up at him. "I really did. I love that Josiah is home. I am in love with my grand-babies."

"I don't think they are fond of you calling them that," John laughed softly.

"Till I get more, they are stuck with it." Natalie laid her head on his chest.

"I am a little worried Ezra may lead Vin into trouble," John admitted.

"I'm not." Natalie shook her head against his chest. "Mischief, yes but Vin has a good soul and he is a smart boy. I think he may keep Ezra out of serious trouble."

"I hope you are right," John placed his chin on top of her head.

* * *

"Emma Dubonnet," Josiah stared at the phone number she had slipped him while he stood with his parents, thanking the guests for sharing the celebration of his mother's birthday. She was a lovely woman...maybe he would call her.


End file.
